Broken Arrows to Faded Giants

An unexpected event involving nuclear weapons or nuclear components that
results in any of the following:

Accidental or unauthorized launching, firing, or use by U.S. forces or
U.S. supported Allied forces of a nuclear-capable weapons system.

An accidental, unauthorized or unexplained nuclear detonation.

Non-nuclear detonation or burning of a nuclear weapon or nuclear
component.

Radioactive contamination.

Jettisoning of a nuclear weapon or nuclear component.

Public hazard, actual or perceived.

As a tool for indicating the severity of a nuclear weapons accident, DoD
officials are provided the following codeword key to be used only in internal
communications: (Listed in order of most to least serious.)

Broken Arrow
"A Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff term to identify and report an
accident involving a nuclear weapon or warhead or nuclear component."
(Broken Arrow is the worst case scenario.)

Bent Spear
"A Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff term used in the Department of
Defense to identify and report a nuclear weapon significant incident
involving a nuclear weapon or warhead, nuclear components, or vehicle when
nuclear loaded."

Empty Quiver
"A reporting term to identify and report the seizure, theft, or loss of a
U.S. nuclear weapon."

Faded Giant"A reporting term to identify an event involving a nuclear reactor or
radiological accident."

A couple of our Broken Arrows

Palomares, Spain - 1966The most serious reported accident in the U.S. Military's nuclear history took
place in Palomares, Spain on Jan. 17, 1966 when a B-52 loaded with four nuclear
bombs suffered a mid-air collision with a KC-135 refueling plane. All four
bombs were ejected from the B-52 in the crash. One was recovered on the ground
and a second from the sea after a long and difficult search. However, the high
explosive packages of the other two bombs detonated on impact with the ground.
While the nuclear payloads of the bombs did not detonate, over 1,400 tons of
surrounding soil and vegetation were contaminated with radioactive materials.
The US conducted an extensive cleanup of the area under the scrutiny of the
Spanish government.

Lakenheath Air Base, Suffolk, England - 1956On July 27, 1956, A B-47 bomber crashed at Lakenheath Airbase in Suffolk,
England. While the bomber carried no nuclear weapons, it hit a concrete
nuclear weapons storage bunker known as the "igloo," where three
U.S. Mark VI nuclear bombs -- the same type of bomb dropped on Nagasaki --
were stored. In the collision, three of the bombs sustained damage that could
have resulted in detonation. In explaining the accident, Gen. James Walsh,
commanding officer of the U.S. 7th Air Division in England, sent a brief
cable to Gen. Curtis LeMay, commander of the U.S. Strategic Air Command.
"Aircraft then exploded, showering burning fuel over all. Crew perished.
... Preliminary exam by bomb disposal officer says a miracle that one Mark Six
with exposed detonators sheared didn't go."

Chances are than none the world's lost nuclear arsenal will ever detonate.
Instead the ever growing list of sunken bombs and reactors will just rust away,
slowly releasing their radiation into the sea for centuries, like Faded Giants.

Historic
Confederate Sub Hunley Raised
The wreck of the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley has been recovered intact
under the direction of a National Parks Service team. The Hunley became the
first submarine in history to sink an enemy ship during battle 136 years
ago. From your About Guide.

Nuclear Weapons: Pay Up to CleanupThe U.S. spends about $96 million a day on
nuclear weapons. The DOE estimates that from $151 billion to $195 billion will
be needed through 2070 for cleanup and closure of nuclear weapons facilities.
From your About Guide.

Cold War: Costs of VictoryThe Berlin Wall and communism fell, but now the U.S. is spending $475.5
million to help the former Soviet Union dismantle and store its excess nuclear
weapons. From
your About Guide.

US - Russia Agree to
Destroy Plutonium
Meeting in Moscow, President Clinton and Russian President Putin have agreed
that both nations should destroy their stockpiles of weapons-grade plutonium and
work together on missile warning systems. From
your About Guide.

Nuke
'em?! - The problemLas Vegas Guide Robert Romano
looks at the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage issue from the viewpoint of a
next-door neighbor.

Nuclear
Waste in the US
Links to articles and sites dealing with United States nuclear waste issues.
From Environment Guide Patricia Michaels.

Other Information
Sources

A
history of accidents"MOSCOW (AP) -- Russian and Soviet nuclear submarines have been
involved in a number of accidents during the past four decades. Poor
maintenance and economic troubles since the 1991 Soviet collapse have worsened
the problem." CNN -- Aug. 14, 2000

Government Money and Aid - No Grant NeededWhere to find help with: Small Business Needs,
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Needs. In most cases, you do not need a grant to get assistance from a
government program.

In Congress
TodayThe daily schedules of House and Senate, major legislation, votes and more.

E-Government!
Online Government Services
From adopting wild horses to buying T-bills and bonds, the US Government is
working to make more an more of its services available to Internet users. Try
out E-Government now.

Supreme
Court Report
Find out about recent decisions and major cases now being considered by the
Supreme Court. Includes links to texts of Court decisions and analysis by many
of your About Guides and other major media sources.